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State of Iowa 
1921 



Regulations for Standardizing 
the Conunon Schools 



p. E. McCLENAHAN 
Superintendent of Public Instruction 



Prepared by 

MAY E. FRANCES 

Inspector for Rural Schools 



Issued by the Department of 

Public Instruction 

Des Moines 



Published by 

THE STATE OT IOWA 

Des Moines 



State of Iowa 
1921 



Regulations for Standardizing 
' the Common Schools 



p. E. McCLENAHAN 
Superintendent of Public Instruction 



Prepared by 

MAY E. FRANCES 

Inspector for Rural Schools 



Issued by the Department of 

Public Instruction 

Des Moines 



Published by 

THE STATE OF IOWA 

Des Moines 



LS32.ia 
.I8A3 



JAN 1 3 «25 



OOCUMSiB 



DIVISION 



PREFACE 

The Thirty-eighth General Assembly passed what is known as the 
Evans-Smith act, providing for the standardization of the rural 
schools of the state of Iowa, and this bulletin is issued to help 
carry out the intentions of this act. 

Iowa has approximately 11,000 one-room rural schools, and 
almost 205,000 children attending these schools. I believe that 
these children who live in the rural districts are entitled to the 
very best schools that the state of Iowa can plan and afford. 

It is the hope that the rural school can become so standardized 
that pupils who finish a grade in the rural school may receive a 
record of that work and have it accepted in any school in the state 
of Iowa. This will prevent repetition and duplications of the work, 
and I feel will be a forward step in education. 

Pupils wlio finish the work in a standardized school will receive 
as much recognition as possible under the law. Those who take 
the regular music course and finish with a grade of at least 85 per 
cent will be excused from>.the final, examination in music. Pupils 
who are completing the eighth grade ihay be excused from some sub- 
jects in the final examination, but each pupil must take a final exam- 
ination in at least three subjects, the ones to be determined later. 

I sincerely hope that this guide may be of much help to the pupils, 
parents, teachers, and boards of education in helping to make better 
schools for the state of Iowa. 

P. E. McClenahan, 
Superintendent of Piiblic Instruction. 



SALUTE TO THE FLAG FOR SCHOOLS 

At a given hour in the morning, the pupils are assembled and in 
their places in the school. A signal is given by the teacher of the 
school. Every pupil rises in his place, while the flag is being 
brought forward from the door to the stand of the teacher. Every 
pupil gives the flag the military salute, which is as follows : 

The right hand uplifted, palm to the front, to a line with the 
forehead, close to it. While thus standing in the attitude of salute, 
all the pupils repeat together, slowly and distinctly, the following 
pledge : 

"I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the republic for which it 
stands. One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." 

At the words, as pronounced in this pledge, ' ' to my flag, ' ' each one 
extends the right hand, palm to the front, toward the flag until the 
end of the pledge affirmation. Then all hands drop to the side. 
The pupils, still standing, may sing together in unison, the song, 
"America." 

HOW TO FLY THE STARS AND STRIPES 

1. Under no circumstances, either in raising or lowering a flag, 
should it be allowed to touch the ground. 

2. Care should always be taken that the union is at the top of the 
flag. In hanging a flag horizontally from a building, the union 
should be on the side away from the building. 

3. The national flag should always be placed above other flags 
or pennants when displayed from the same staff. 

4. When a flag is displayed at half-staff it should be raised to the 
top of the staff and then lowered to the proper position which is 
half way between the top and the middle of the staff, literally, at 
three-quarters-staff. 

5. A flag displayed at half-staff as a mark of respect should be 
returned to the top of the staff at the conclusion of the funeral 
services of the person thus honored. 

6. For Memorial Day, flags should be at half-staff from sunrise 
until noon. At noon they should be raised to the top of the staff to 
remain there until sunset. 

7. Flags should not be allowed to remain flying at night. 

8. The union of the national flag now consists of forty-eight stars 
in six horizontal rows, eight stars in each row. 



SCHOOL STANDARDIZATION LAW 

Chapter 364, Thirty-eighth General Assembly 
An act peoviding fob the standardization of rural schools and gbamc- 
iNG statb: Am and providing for an- appropriation therefor. 

Be It Enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa: 

Section 1. Any school maintained by a district wholly outside a city, 
town, or village corporation or consolidated independent district which 
has complied with the provisions of this act shall be known as a stand- 
ard school. Every standard school before it may be designated as such 
shall have been maintained for eight months during the previous year 
and shall conduct school for eight months of each succeeding year. It 
shall have a suitable schoolhouse, grounds, and outbuildings in proper 
condition and repair; be equipped with needful apparatus, textbooks, 
supplies; an adequate system of heating and ventilation; have done 
efficient work and have complied with such requirements as shall be 
specified by the superintendent of public instruction. 

Sec. 2. It shall be the duty of the superintendent of public instruc- 
tion to prescribe and promulgate the requirements he shall deem neces- 
sary for standard schools as to minimum requirements for standards 
of teaching, general equipment, heating and ventilation, lighting, seat- 
ing, water supply, library, care of grounds, safety against fire, and such 
other requirements as will conserve the health, safety and welfare of 
the children attending school; and prescribe such other requirements 
as he shall deem necessary for the upbuilding and improvement of such 
schools. 

Sec. 3. On or before June 30th of each year and at such other time 
as the superintendent of public instruction may direct, the county 
superintendent of schools shall make reports and furnish such other 
data in regard to said schools as the department of public instruction 
may desire on blanks to be furnished by the superintendent of public 
instruction. 

Sec. 4. State aid shall be given to rural districts maintaining one or 
more standard schools to the amount of six dollars ($6.00), for each 
pupil who has attended said schools in said district at least six months 
of the previous year. 

Sec 5. No school shall be deemed a standard school unless, the 
teacher is the holder of a first-grade uniform county certificate or its 
equivalent, has contracted for the entire school year, and unless such 
school shall have maintained an average daily attendance of at least 
ten pupils. 

Sec. 6. Each standard school shall be furnished by the superintend- 
ent of public instruction with a suitable doorplate or mark of identifi- 
cation, and the expense of the same shall be paid from the fund created 
by this act for the promotion of standard schools. 



Sec. 7. Upon receiving from tlie county superintendent a satisfac- 
tory report showing that any rural school has fulfilled the requirements 
of a standard school, the superintendent of public instruction shall is- 
sue a requisition upon the auditor of state for the amount due any 
rural school district entitled to state aid for the school year just passed; 
whereupon the auditor of state shall draw a warrant on the treasurer 
of state payable to the secretary of the school corporation entitled 
thereto and forward to the secretary of said school corporation, who 
shall cause the same to be deposited with the other funds of the district. 
The money shall be expended in the district or districts maintaining 
standard schools in amounts proportionate to the number of pupils 
upon which state aid was granted. The secretary shall issue a war- 
rant in favor of the teacher to the amount of one-half the subsidy due 
each such such school and the school board shall, with the assistance 
of the county superintendent, expend the remainder in improvements 
and necessary apparatus. If more than one teacher is employed in a 
school the amount shall be apportioned between them according to 
the time of their employment. 

Sec. 8. For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act 
there is hereby appropriated out of any money in the state treasury not 
otherwise appropriated the sum of one hundred thousand dollars 
($100,000.00) annually, which fund if not all used shall be allowed 
to accumulate, and shall not be turned back into the state treasury nor 
used for any purpose other than herein provided. 



OFFICIAL RATING CARD FOR IOWA STANDARD 
SCHOOLS 

Issued hy the State Superintendent of Puhlic Instruction. 

I. Grounds and outbuildings. 

11. The sehoolhouse. 

III. Equipment and care of the schoolroom. 

IV. Library and supplementary readers. 
V. The teacher and the school. 

VI. Community activities. 

To become standardized a rural school must have a rating of 80 
per cent from this score card for the first year, 85 per cent the 
second year, and 90 per cent for every year thereafter. 

1. Two inside, separate, sanitary toilets, or two outside ordinary 

I. GROUIVI>S AND OUTBUILDINGS. 
toilets, meeting approval regulations. Required. Section 2784, 
School Laws of Iowa 2 

2. Fenced playground of at least one acre. Authorized by statute.. 1 

3. Supervised play and playground equipment 2 

4. School garden and trees. Statutory for trees. Section 2787, 
School laws of Iowa 1 

5. Playgrounds adequate and well cared for 2 

6. Fuel house in good condition and well supplied with fuel and 
kindling 1 

7. Good flag and flagstaff with flag displayed when weather permits. 
Required by law 1 

10 
II. THE SCHOOLHOUSE 

1. Good foundation, required 1 

2. Siding and roof in good condition. Required.... 1 

3. Well-painted exterior. Required.. 1 

4. Good windows with no broken lights. Windows shall be provided 
with locks. Required 2 

5. Vestibule and separate cloak closets 5- 

6. Good doors provided with lock and key. Required..' 2: 

7. Interior walls in good condition, and painted or calcimined a 
light shade; cream, buff, light tan or a very light shade of gray ....2 

8. Windows on the left, or on left and rear of pupils 3; 

9. Windows well supplied with good shades of some light color and 
with sash curtains. Required 1 

7 



10. Ventilated by satisfactory system. Required 3 

11. Interior clean and tidy. Required 1 

12. Twenty square feet of floor space and two hundred twenty cubic 
feet of air space for each pupil. Required 2 

13. Window surface equal to from one-sixth to one-fifth of the floor 
space 2 

14. Twenty linear feet of slate blackboard, with chalk trays, good 
erasers and crayon 2 

15. Good floors 2 

30 
in. EQUIPftlENl AND CARE OF THE SCHOOLROOM 

1. Single seats. Recommended. Three sizes recommended, or, ad- 
justable desks 2 

2. A good desk for the teacher and two good chairs. Required 1 

3. Ample equipment for primary work 2 

4. Interior of rooms tastefully decorated 1 

5. Three good pictures, framed. Required 2 

6. Suitable dictionaries and physiology chart 2 

7. Good water supply, well or covered cooler with spigot or sanitary 
bubbler. Required 2 

8. Complete, up-to-date set of maps, of Asia, Africa, Europe, United 
States, North and South America, World Continent, and Iowa. 
Required 2 

9. Globe, ten inches or more in diameter. Required 2 

10. Waste basket, mirror, soap, basin and towels 2 

11. A good talking machine with ten good records. Recommended.. 2 

20 
IV. LIBRARY AND SUPPLEMENTARY READERS 

1. A good bookcase and list of 100 books chosen from the State List 
of Reference Books for High Schools and Elementary Schools, as 
specified. Books kept in good condition and recorded 5 

2. Two sets of supplementary readers for all grades, from one to 
seven, inclusive. Required 2 

7 
V. THE TEACHER AND THE SCHOOL 

1. The teacher must be ranked by the county superintendent as an , 
excellent or superior teacher and must be in attendance at the 

. professional meetings of the county 9 

2. The teacher must hold a first-grade uniform county certificate, 
normal training high school certificate, or state certificate. Re- 
quired by statute 1 

3. The teacher retained for the second year or longer 1 

4. Homes of all pupils visited by the teacher 2 

5. School visited by local director or directors 2 

6. Special programs prepared for special days 2 

7. An average attendance of 85 per cent or better. 1 



8. Course in citizenship, including current events given. Required.... 1 

9. Daily program posted in the room and followed 1 

10. Manual of the State Course of Study for Iowa in each school, and 

course followed. Required 1 

21 

VI. OOaOlUNITY ACTIVITIES 

1 School represented by boys' and girls' agricultural and industrial 

clubs at county, state or district fairs 2 

2. Represented by other exhibits at district, county, school or state 
fairs 2 

3. School literary society, spelling or other contests 2 

4. Community center gatherings for three to six meetings of com- 
mon community interest during the year 6 

12 



The accompanying cut 
shows a satisfactory ar- 
rangement of toilet for a 
school. 




Xames of Various Parts: 

A— i-Ventilator 

B and TJ — Bo^vl, Urinal 

C — Chimney connection 

D — Elbow E — Pump 

F" — Tank and Drain Pipe 

G — Leaching- Pool 



STANDARDS FOR IOWA SCHOOLS 

I. GROUNDS AND OUTBUILDINGS 

1. Toilets. Every progressive community and sctiool depart'ment 
recognizes the evils attendant upon the use of the foul, unsanitary, de- 
tached school closets. In constructing them no provision has been 
made for ventilation; they are neglected through the summer months 
and are seldom cleaned and repaired before school opens in the fall; 
the walls are ordinarily disiigured by obscene carvings and writing. 
Many eminent authorities are agreed that the use of the outside school 
closets is the chief cause of immorality in rural life, therefore, this 
department recommends that rural districts provide some approved 
form of sanitary toilets for their schools. 

These toilets should be placed on opposite sides of the schoolhouse 
and should be entered directly from the schoolroom through the cloak- 
rooms. When choosing a plant care should be taken to insure a good 
wastage tank and ventilating system. 

A cut showing the above-mentioned feature's will be found elsewhere 
in this bulletin. 

If outside toilets are retained the following details must be complied 
with: 

1. The buildings must be widely separated and at the rear of the 
schoolhouse. 

2. I'hey must be properly lighted and ventilated by windows and 
ventilating shaft. 

3. They must be kept clean and sanitary at all times and be free 
from marks and writing. 

4. They shall be provided with locks and keys that they may be 
locked when school is not in session. 

5. There should be good, dry approaches from the schoolhouse to 
the outbuildings. These may ,be made of boards, concrete, gravel 
or cinders. 

6. A latticed screen, about seven feet high, shall be provided for each 
building. These screens shall be so placed as to hide the entrance 
and prevent snow from drifting in during the winter months. 

Secton 2784, School Laws of Iowa, makes it mandatory that 
school boards make proper provisions for wholesome, sanitary 
toilets kept in good repair. 

2. Fenced playgTound of at least one acre. This is authorized by law. 
Sections 2745-a and b, also Section 2773, Article 16, School Laws of 
Iowa. it is requested that this provision be observed and ample 
grounds furnished. If the grounds are unattractive have children 
plant trees and shrubbery. The more you can relate play and care of 
the grounds the better. If necessary call on the parents to help also. 

10 



3. Provision shall be made for supervised play, The teacher shall 
supervise the playgrounds at recess and at the noon hour. Supervised 
play is an important factor in training for citizenship. When boys^ and 

girls learn to have the best of good times together on the school 
grounds many of the problems of discipline disappear and the com- 
munity becomes a harmonious neighborhood co-operating for their own 
best development. Play that teaches teamwork and fairness is the 
rightful heritage of every boy and girl and should be provided by every 
school. The recess periods should be devoted by the children to play- 
ing simple, wholesome games under the direction of the teacher. 

The teacher must be more of a statesman than a policeman. She 
must keep order by organizing an efficient democracy. He must teach 
fairness; he must inspire the older children with a desire to protect 
the smaller ones; he must organize the players so that they themselves 
attend ^o the details of the play and assume much of the responsibility 
of the playground management. The teacher must not only know 
the games and how it play them, but she must also know human na- 
ture. The leader must remember that children inherit the play in- 
stinct but must be taught the game. The games must be vital. The 
test of efficiency of the playground is the games the children play out- 
side of it. The successful leader will influence the entire play life of 
the children under his or her care. The need for recreation must be 
recognized as something as definite as the need for work. Special time 
must be given to it. It must have a place upon the program of each 
family as well as each community. 

Baseball and basket-ball, volley-boll and tennis are suggested for the 
upper grade pupils, while playground equipment should be secured for 
the use of the little people. Every standardized playground should be 
provided with at least four pieces of play equipment taken from the 
following list. The equipment must be kept in good condition. 

1. A low, strong swing. 

2. A giant stride. 

3. Horizontal bars. 

4. Coaster slide. 

5. A modern teeter-board. 

6. Baseball grounds and equipment. 

7. A basket-ball. 

8. Sand bin, about 9 by 10, placed in some shady corner of school- 
grounds. 

9. Indoor baseball. 
10. Croquet. 

4. School garden and trees. Under ordinary circumstances the school 
garden is not urged. However, there is a splendid field here and if 
certain schools are so situated as to enable them to care for these 
grounds during the entire season there is a possibility of making a 
splendid record in this work. 

It is statutory that every school site shall have twelve trees in thrifty 
condition. Section 2787, School Laws of Iowa. 

5. The school grounds. The school grounds shall be adequately ar- 
ranged for directed play and physical exercise. They should be well 
graded and seeded down to lawn grass. When new trees and shru'^ 
bery are set out they should be placed, ordinarily, around the border 
of grounds. 

Special ca^re should be taken of the grounds that the school may pre- 
sent an attractive appearance at all times. 

11 



Our public schools are the bulwarks of our government. Let us show 
our love and veneration of the latter by our interest and care for the 
former. 

6. Fuel house. The fuel house should be well painted and kept in 
good condition. It should be well supplied with fuel, including kindling. 

7. The flag and flag-staff. By Section 2 804, School Laws of Iowa, 
it becomes mandatory for every school board to provide a suitable flag 
and flag-staff, and that the teacher keep the colors floating each day 
that the weather permit. 

Section 2804-b provides for suitable flag raising services each morning 
when the flag is raised. Therefore, it is urged that the flag salute be 
taught all pupils and be given by the entire school in unison as the 
flag is raised each morning. 



II. THE SCHOOLHOUSE 

1. Good foundations. The foundations and all walls of the school 
building must be in first-class condition. 

2. Siding and roof. The siding and roof of the school building must 
be in good repair. 

3. Painted exterior. The exterior of all school buildings must be 
well and harmoniously painted. 

4. Good windows. All windows shall be fitted in the casings and 
shall be in good condition with no broken lights. Each window shall be 
provided with good locks to guard against the buildings being broken 
into or property destroyed. 

5. Vestibule and separate cloak closet. No rural school is well 
equipped which does not provide separate cloakrooms for the girls and 
boys. Scarcely a day passes that the need of privacy in such room 
for dressing purposes is not felt. It is impossible to inculcate in the 
minds of children habits of good housekeeping when the cloaks, hats, 
overshoes and dinner pails clutter the room, or are left in the vestibule. 

When new schoolhouses are built, two separate, well-lighted cloak- 
rooms should be provided. In old buildings it would be an easy matter 
to add such cloakrooms. 

6. Good door. Every schoolhouse should be provided with good locks 
and keys. There is little incentive to try to keep a school up to stand- 
ard if the building is left open, as much damage is sure to result to the 
property from those who can and do enter after school hours. The law 
fixes a penalty against breaking intp public buildings, but does not 
provide against entering if the buildings are left open. 

7. Interior walls in gOod condition. The interior ceiling and walls 
shall be in first-class condition and shall be tinted some light shade 
which will be restful to the eyes and will afford the best light for the 
children. Avoid tinting all surfaces, ceiling and side walls the same 
shade. Dark colors absorb the light and make a dark room, so should 
be avoided. A good color scheme is: stone grey for the wainscoting, 
silver for the walls up to the border line, and a cream color for the 
ceiling; or chocolate wainscoting, light tan or buff for side walls and 
cream color for the ceiling. Calcimine or alabastine can be used very 
successfully. Any finish containing varnish will produce a glare when 
the sunlight strikes it, therefore, if paint is used for the walls it 
should be the flat variety only. 

12 



8. Windows on the left, or on the left and in the rear. For the 

purpose of correct lighting tlae windows should be placed on the left, or 
on the left aiid" in the rear of the room. 

No new school buildihg should be erected without observing this 
regulation, and no old school building should be used where the light 
is admitted in front of the child or where light from both sides falls 
in front of the pupil. Cross lights invariably produce eye strain. The 
lighting of the schoolhouse is a matter of much more importance than 
people generally realize. The amount of reading and writing done in 
school today is far greater than the parents know. The eye strain re- 
sulting from incorrect lighting of schoolrooms is the cause of many 
forms of nerve trouble among school children. 

9. Window shades and curtains. The windows shall be well supplied 
with light-colored, heavy shades kept in good repair so that they may 
be easily adjusted to admit or exclude light. The -teacher should 
regulate the light and adjust the shades and curtains. Well-laundered 
sash curtains should be furnished for all windows. 

10. Heated and ventilated by a satisfactory system. Basements and 
basement furnaces are recommended in all cases of new construction. 
Any school board considering it impracticable to provide a basement 
and a basement heater for a new school building should correspond 
with the Superintendent of Public Instruction before starting the con- 
struction of the building. All reasons should be given for not comply- 
in with the recommendation. 

With basement furnaces there should be provision made for bringing 
in pure air from outside to the base of the furnace and there must be 
a suitable chimney or stack with a register near the floor line to remove 
foul air from the room. The combined area of the flue, or flues, for 
conveying the heated air from the furnace should have a cross section 
area equal to one two-hundredths of the entire floor area of the rooms 
to be heated. 

Separate flues are recommended, but if they are not used, the smoke 
flue should be located in the center of the vent flue and should have a 
diameter of from 10 to 12 inches. The smoke flue should be made of 
cast-iron pipe, or a good quality of clay soil pipe. The vent flue 
must have a net area, exclusive of the center smoke flue, equal to one 
two-hundred-fiftieths of the combined floor area of the rooms to be 
heated. 

There should be one square foot of grate area for every twenty-five 
hundred cubic feet of air in the schoolroom and cloakrooms. For 
each square foot of grate area there should be thirty square feet of 
radiating surface in the furnace. If the school is not equipped with 
a basement room, furnaces may be installed, such as the Hero, Water- 
man-Waterbury, Smith, Old Dominion, or similar plants which bring 
in pure air and removes the foul air from the room. 

If a heating stove is used it must be provided with a shield or jacket 
of sheet-iron. This shield must be at least eight inches from the floor. 
The old heating stove with the sheet-iron jacket is but a makeshift at 
best, and all schools where they are now used should plan to have 
them replaced with an approved heating system which has adequate 
provision made for bringing in fresh air and removing the foul air from 
the room. 

Since it is so important to the health of the children that the school- 
rooms be well heated and ventilated, this department announces that 
any school not having made the change within 'two years after approval 

13 



will be dropped from the standardized list and state aid will be with- 
held from it until such change has been effected. 

11. Interior of the schoolroom shall be clean and tidy. The follow- 
ing regulations should be observed because it is impossible to accom- 
plish good school work and establish correct habits in an ill-kept school- 
room : 

a. The floor and walls shall be clean. 

b. The pupils' desks shall be neat and clean. 

c. The vestibules and cloakrooms shall be neat and orderly. 

d. The windows shall be clean and shades properly adjusted. 

e. The drinking fountain and wash basin shall be clean. 

f. The blackboards shall be well cleaned each day and the work put 
on them neatly. 

g. All maps, charts or other supplemental helps shall be readily at 
hand for class use when needed. 

h. Seat work shall be provided for first and second grades as re- 
quired by the Iowa State Course of Study. 

i. The teacher's desk shall be in order, and all material essential 
for her work easily accessible. 

12. Twenty square feet of floor space. To guard against crowded 
conditions and to insure a sufficient amount of air per pupil it is re- 
quired that each standard school shall provide twenty square feet of 
floor space and two hundred twenty cubic feet of air space per pupil. 

13. The window surface shall be one-sixth to one-fifth as gi-eat as the 

floor space. That a sufficient amount of light may be admitted for the 
pupils it is recommended that the combined surface of the windows 
shall be equal to from one-sixth to one-fifth of the fioor space. 

14. Twenty linear feet of slate blackboard. That ample provision 
may be made for pupils to discuss and demonstrate their work, it is 
recommended that at least twenty linear feet of slate blackboard be 
provided for all standard rural schools. This board should be at the 
front and right of the pupils. The front board should be from twenty- 
eight to thirty-two inches from the floor, while that at the side should 
be from twenty-four to twenty-eight inches from the floor, so that the 
little people may be able to reach it readily to place their work upon it. 

15. Good floors. The floors should be in good condition and free 
from splinters and cracks and kept clean. Every rural sclioolhouse 
should be well cleaned at least three times each year. 



in. EQUIPMENT AND CARE OF THE SCHOOLROOM 

1. Single seats. Every standard school should be furnished with 
single seats and desks to match. It is recommended that at least three 
sizes be provided. In placing pupils care should be taken to give each 
a seat that is suited to his size. 

It is much easier to establish correct habits of study and general 
conduct where school rooms are furnished with single seats. From the 
standpoint of health it is also desirable, as all contagious and many in- 
fectious diseases are much more readily transmitted from one child to 
another where they occupy the same seat. 

2. The teacher's desk* and chairs. A good desk containing compart- 
ments where records may be kept and which is provided with a lock and 

14 



key should be furnished for the teacher. There should also be a teach- 
er's chair and one other good chair as part of the required furnishings 
of the schoolroom. 

3. Ample equipment for primary work. Proper drill cards and seat 
work shall be furnished for primary children, such as: 

a. Phonic cards giving all phonograms used in first, second and third 
grades. 

b. Word cards giving the words which are used in their readers. 

c. Number cards which can be used to teach the fundamental prin- 
ciples. 

d. Language cards for story telling and correct English. 

e. Scissors and paste. 

4. Interior of the room tastefully decorated. Everything about the 
schoolroom should be neat, clean and tidy. The curtains and shades 
should be adjusted so as to admit sufficient light and also to bar the 
direct rays of sunlight from falling in the face or on the desk of any 
pupil. The pictures should not be hung too high. Burlap or other 
suitable material should be placed in position on one side of the 
schoolroom to provide a suitable place to display the school work of 
the pupils. Nothing should be displayed that is not representative of 
the child's best efforts. 

The quiet, subtle influence permeating the atmosphere of a well-or- 
ganized, orderly school is a tremendous factor in character building, 
therefore, the teacher should attend to every little detail that will 
create a refining, wholesome environment for her pupils. The public 
school in the training camp for our American citizens. Let us have no 
slacker in charge of any camp. 

5. Three good pictures. Every well-appointed schoolroom should 
have at least three good pictures, suitably framed, upon the walls. Ev- 
ery child should become acquainted with the world's famous artists 
and know some of their productions before they finish the rural school 
course. The history and meaning of each picture should be taught to 
the pupils. 

A suggestive list of these artists and some of their paintings are 
given. Any picture gotten for the schoolroom should be at least seven- 
teen by twelve inches clear of the frame. A good print in sepia or 
United States carbon is recommended. These pictures can be secured 
at a nominal price from any of the firms that furnish pictures for 
schools. 

Pictures. 

"The Last Supper" Leonardo da Vinci 

"Madonna of the Chair" Raphael 

"Aurora" Guido Reni 

"Spring" Carat 

"Dance of the Nymphs" Carat 

"The Lake" Carat 

"Return to the Farm" Trayon 

"The Angelus" Millet 

"The Gleaners" Millet 

"Feeding the Birds" '. Millet 

15 



"The Horse Fair" .Rosa Bonlieiir 

"Christ in Gethsemane" Hoffman 

"Saved" Landseer 

"Shoeing the Bay Mare" Landseer 

"Embarkation of the Pilgrims" Rothermel 

"Puritans Going to Church" BougMon 

"Stag at Bay" Landseer 

Pictures of distinguished people, of famous historical or geographical 
places are also recommended. 

6. Suitable clictionaries and i>hysiolog:y charts. One copy of Web- 
ster's International, or its equivalent, and two smaller dictionaries 
should be provided for each school. One good, modern physiology 
chart for class use is recommended. 

7. Good water supply. A good water supply is absolutely essential 
for every school. It is best to have a deep well of good water on the 
school grounds, but if this is not provided every school should have a 
covered cooler equipped with a spigot or sanitary bubbler. If the 
bubbler is not provided each child should have his own drinking cup. 

8. Complete up-to-date set of maps. Every school should have a 
complete set of maps as follows: a map of Asia, of Africa, Europe, the 
World Continent, South America, North America, the United States, 
Iowa, and your county. All maps should be recent editions. 

9. Globe. A good globe, twelve inches or more in diameter, should 
be in each school. It is best to have the globe suspended from the 
ceiling. 

10. Waste basket, etc. A waste basket, mirror, soap, wash basin, 
and clean towels should be a part of the regular equipment. 

11. Talking machine and records. The talking machine is of great 
educational value and can be used to splendid advantage in teaching 
rhythm in both music and writing. Ten well-chosen records used on 
such a- machine would eliminate much of the trouble which the rural 
teacher encounters in teaching music. 

IV. lilBRARY AND SUPPLEIVIENTARY READERS 

1. A good bookcase and 100 well-chosen books. Every standard 
school should be provided with a good bookcase where the books can be 
arranged according to grade and kept away from the dust when not 
in use. A bookcase is for books only and should not be converted into 
a "catch all." All of the books should be catalogued and a record 
kept by the teacher of those that are loaned. 

A minimum of ten juvenile books should be provided for each grade. 
The aim in selecting these books should be to get only those which 
will have a direct influence in character building, be a guide in the 
choice of right associates, stimulate a healthy imagination, create a 
desire for the best literature, act as a medium for intellectual discipline, 
and afford esthetic culture. 

Each library should contain an up-to-date set of encyclopedia, pre- 
pared for pupils in the elementary grades, also one or more reference 
books for each subject taught. 

2. Two sets of supplementai-y readers for each grade, from one to 
seven, inclusive. Two extra sets of supplementary readers beside the 
basic text should be furnished for pupils in the first seven grades. 

16 



These readers must be up to date and in good condition, with a suffi- 
cient number provided so that each child in the class may have a book. 
Suggestive lists will be found in the "State List of Reference Books 
for High Schools and Elementary Schools." 

V. THE TEACHER AND THE SCHOOIi. 

1. Tlie teacher must be ranked by the county superintendent as ex- 
cellent or superior and must attend the professional meetings of the 
county. 

In ranking a teacher the county superintendent should consider: 

A. The appearance of the schoolroom — 

a. The floors, walls and windows should be clean and the pupils' 

desks clean and orderly. 

b. The entries and cloakrooms should be clean and neat. 

c. The drinking fountain, wash basin and towels should be clean. 

d. The teacher's desk should be clean and orderly. 

B. The appearance of the teacher and the pupils — 

a. The teacher should be neatly dressed and refined in conduct. 

b. The pupils should be clean, neat and orderly in conduct. 

c. The teacher and pupils should be working steadily. 

C. Preparation of the teacher and conduct of the school — 

a. A program carefully made out from the Iowa State Course of 
Study should be posted on the walls and followed daily. 

b. The teacher should have a plan book with plans made out for 
each day's work; this book should be on her desk for the 
superintendent's inspection and should be followed closely. 

c. All school work for the day should be prepared by the teacher 

before opening school; reference and all materials used as 
helps should be ready; if written work is to be given it should 
be prepared and instruction for it previously placed on the 
blackboard. 

d. Recitation time and study periods should be devoted to useful 

material. 

e. Dismissal and calling of classes should be orderly and with- 

out loss of time. 

f. All teaching must be effective. 

g. Careful attention should be given to the seatwork of the 
younger pupils. 

h. There should be stated times for helping pupils> and a part of 
the recitation or study period should be used for explanation 
of the work. 

1. The teacher should be courteous and sympathetic toward the 
pupils. 

D. Organization and management of the school — 

a. There should be a daily register kept clean, up to date and 

ready for inspection. 

b. Pupils should be doing regular grade work as prescribed by 

the Course of Study for Iowa. 

c. School hours and daily program should be followed closely. 

d. Physical exercises should be well ordered and beneficial. 

17 



e. The papers of the pupils should be promptly corrected and 

returned. 

f. The teacher should discern between important and unimpor- 

tant matters of discipline. 

g. All suggestions of the county superintendent for improvement 

in the school work should be fully carried out. 

h. The teacher should be progressive, resourceful, and an inspira- 
tion to her pupils. 

i The pupils should be wide awake in their work. 

2. The teacher must hold a first-grade unifoiin county certificate. 

Mandatory by statute. Section 5 of the standardization law reads: 

"No school shall be deemed a standard school unless the teacher is 
the holder of a first-grade uniform county certificate or its equivalent." 

The normal training high school certificate is considered the equiva- 
lent of the first-grade county certificate. A teacher holding a normal 
training certificate should have a year of experience before going into a 
standard school. Any teacher holding a state certificate is also eligible 
to teach in standard schools. ■ 

3. Teachers retained for second year or longer. It is highly desirable 
that teachers who have made, and are making, a successful record be 
retained for as long a time as possible, because they are able to study 
the needs of their particular district and work out many local prob- 
lems in a way that will be highly beneficial to the community. 

4. Homes of all pupils visited by the teacher. A good teacher gains 
the confidence and co-operation of her patrons if she becomes ac- 
quainted with them. The best way to gain this acquaintance is to visit 
in each home. This gives her a chance also to understand the pupil 
and his individual needs. 

5. School visited by the local director or directors. The directors 
are chosen officers to look after school matters in each district. They 
should acquaint themselves first hand with the school and by their co- 
operation with the teacher help to build up the best school possible for 
their district. It is the patriotic duty of every citizen to serve in this 
way. 

6. Special progTams i^repared for special days. A part of every 
child's education should consist of a love and veneration for our na- 
tional holidays. It is fitting that every school prepare and give two 
or three special programs, each year, celebrating some of our holidays. 

7. An average attendance of 85 per cent or better is necessary to 
hold the interest and efficiency of the school up to a good standard of 
work. 

8. Course in citizenship including cuii-ent events. Mandatory by 
statute. Section 1 in law relating to the teaching of citizenship: "All 
public and private schools located within the state of Iowa shall be 
required to teach the subject of American citizenship." Current 
events should be correlated with the citizenship course. 

9. Daily program. Each school shall have its daily program posted 
upon the wall by the close of the first week of school. This program 
should be carefully followed. 

10. Manual of the State CJourse of Study. Every standard school 
shall be provided with a State Course of Study and said course shall be 
carried out in the school by the teacher. 



VI. COMiMUMTY ACTIVITIES 

The rural school district affords the purest form of democratic gov- 
ernment to be found in Iowa today. The school is the center of com- 
munity life because it is an institution organized and operated for 
the boys and girls from every home in the community. The group of 
neighbors residing in a district determine the kind of school they 
can afford to support and it becomes their school. It is here that the 
children receive the inspiration and training which is to be their 
greatest asset in meeting life's problems. It is here that the people 
should work out their own problems of community development and 
get the larger vision of the possibilities of country life. When this vision 
comes rural life will become more attractive. Physical and social con- 
ditions will be on a higher plane and a higher type of citizen will be 
developed. There will be born a new school spirit which will reflect 
the life of the community and create a purer environment. Reared in 
this atmosphere the boys and girls will develop happy, useful lives. 

"When the social spirit of a community is awakened it is powerful 
enough to function such methods of expression as are best suited 
to its needs. It is the teacher's privilege to lead the community out 
into a spirit of co-operation. 

The best way to awaken a community to its possibilities is through 
community meetings. First discover the need for such a gathering, 
then have the meeting. Work ■\^^th the community through the school. 
All children delight in the evidence of having actually accomplished 
some constructive work; to show some finished product to the parents; 
to assist in giving a patriotic program or take part in some of the 
club work going on in the community will add a new interest to the 
school for the boy or girl and stimulate a new interest in the school. 

1. Boys' and girls' industrial clubs. These clubs may be along the 
line of live-stock raising, agriculture, canning, baking, sewing, etc. 
The finished product may be exhibited at district, county, or state fairs. 

2. Other exhibits. Any finished ijrodiict which a child exhibits af- 
fords a certain pride and arouses an ambition to do better things. 

3. School literary societies, spelling or other contests arouses a 
healthy spirit of competition and sociability which is very desirable. 

4. Other conmiunity meetings. That the field be broad and a 
chance given each community to find its own outlet for self-expression, 
we are suggesting community meetings. 

a. The teacher should provide opportunity for the club that discusses 
the serious side of agriculture and household arts, as well as for 
the boys' and girls' debating society, and the monthly social. 

.^ Singing societies, neighborhood bands, the clubs that give sim- 
ple plays and entertainments, lectures on interesting and impor- 
tant topics; these are well-established aids to community pleasure 
and advancement. Remember that no community-center enter- 
prise will succeed unless it is something that your neighbors really 
desire and need. A successful community-center organization will 
generally make it possible for the educational extension forces 
of your state to co-operate with your community to the best ad- 
vantage. 

b. Special-day festivals, perhaps with pageantry, upon which the 
whole neighborhood should unite for a good time that is worth 
while. 

c. Outdoor fun for old and young, such as picnics, camping, nature 
study, and water sport. 

19 



d. Xon-commercial clubs in agriculture and household arts that will 
bring young people together and encourage better farming and 
better living. 

e. Co-operation with outside clubs, such as Boy Scouts, the Camp- 
fire Girls and the Audubon Society. 

f. Athletics, beginning with the local playground and extending to a 
county system, planned so as to encourage physical fitness and 
good times for all boys and girls rather than the success of a few 
after unlimited competition. 

Education is truly the bulwark of liberty, if it is the right kind of 
education. That which is supervised and guided in the proper channel 
can be relied upon to uphold the traditions, the institutions and the 
government of this country. Trained in American ideals, understand- 
ing American thought and grasping the American attitude of justice 
the youth of our country will develop a patriotic spirit necessary for 
all good citizens. To do this we must have the services of live, pa- 
triotic teachers. If we do not have such teachers our young people 
grow up with wrong conceptions of our institutions, ideals and gov- 
ernment and may easily become a public menace. The duty of the 
public school is to train and develop fair-minded, clean, wholesome, 
honest, democratic citizens for America. Before we can have a strong 
national life we must have strong individual lives. 

"We have long deceived ourselves with words and phrases about free 
public, universal education. Up to the present time we have barely the 
beginnings, here and there, of such an effective educational program 
as these terms ought to imply. The educational task Immediately be- 
fore us is to make universally real the ideals which we have so long 
boasted." 

Every teacher can assist in this great task by teaching the best school 
that he or she is capable of developing. 



20 



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Oaylord Bro«. 
•yracuse. S. Y. 



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